Mail-sacking accessory



June 4, 1940. M. F. THEIS 2,203,067

MAIL-SACKING ACCESSORY Filed March 22, 1939 $5/ 'E Matthew il. Theis 56 SSM! M+ Qq-t4 one for each sack Patented June 4, 1940 'e UNITED STATES vPATENT oFFlcE Claims.

My invention relates to improvementsin mailsacking accessories and particularly, though not exclusively, to label holders adapted to be used in connection with mail sack racks.

In post-offices and places of business handling substantial quantities of mail, sacks for receiving the outgoing mail are hung in racks to facilitate the distribution of the mail thereinto. These racks usually consist of horizontally disposed rails supported by legs, both rails and legs consisting of lengths of pipe joined together with pipe fittings. Each rack supports a number of mail sacks side by side, there beingv a set of four hooks for each sack, one pair of each set of hooks being mounted in spaced relation on the front rail of the rack and the other pair thereof being mounted in spaced relation on the rear rail of the rack in opposition to said first pair of hooks. Each rack has a number of destination signs, section, said signs being mounted on the rear rail of the rack and each sign occupying a position between its respective hooks on said rear rail. Each destination sign includes an elongated mounting plate for a sign panel, which plate is screwed tothe rear rail of a rack and spaced from such rail by means of blocks disposed at the ends of the plate, said plate being inclined and occupying a position adi jacent to the upper forward portion of said rear rail, wherebyv the sign panel carried by the plate is rendered readily visible from the front of thev rack.

Printed sack labels corresponding with the destnation signs on the racks are supplied for ap- 3 plication to the mail sacks, it being the duty of a postal clerk, when he closes a sack, to stamp his number and the date upon the back of the appropriate printed sack label and to apply such label to the combined locking and label holding device customarily carried by the draw strings of the sack. In post-offices, the printed sack labels are conveniently stored in bins located centrally of a battery of sack racks. An appropriate sack label, taken from a bin, is stamped and back upon the sometimes, to save steps, a clerk will stamp in` by a clerk and applied to a sack prior to the clos ing thereof for shipment. This procedure necessitates a trip from the sack rack to label bin closing of each sack` and,

advance a number of labels for some of the most actively used sack` rack sections and improvise fastening means therefor at the sites of such sections,which means sometimes consist Aof rubber n bands caught about the destination signs on said 5'5 racks.' In the one case aforesaid, time and effort improvised fastenngs.

An object of the present invention is to prou vid/e simple, durable and inexpensive means adapted to expedite the sacking of mail, a further and more specific object of theinvention being to provide a label holder that is readily applicable to a mail sack rack in a conveniently accessible position, wherein protection from erri5: ingly thrown parcels of mail is afforded by the companion destination sign of the particular rack section to which the holder is applied. Another object of the invention is to provide a holder or magazine for a stack of labels in which the uppermost label is positioned and exposed for the ready application thereto of stamps of various forms. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a label holder of the present nature having a 25 spring pressed follower for elevating the labels as the supply is depleted, said follower being adapted to resist the pressure from a stamp apyplied to the uppermost label, whereby a clear impression of the stamp maybe made upon said label.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a label holder or magazine of the instant character, wherein the labels at' one end of a contained stack are exposed to provide access thereto and, wherein. the stacked labels are caused to be feathered to extend the exposed end of the uppermost label beyondthe end of the label therebeneath. e

vA further object of the invention is to provide a label holder, as above, whereinthe exposed ends of the labels beneath the uppermost label may bereadily flexed downwardly away from said uppermost label to lend ready access thereto and to facilitate the depression of the corre- 45 sponding end of, the follower, whereby the grip on said uppermost label is lightened and its removal from the holder made easy of accomplish-y ment.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, 50

mentary perspective view illustrating an embodiment of my invention in label holders as applied to and used in connection with a mail sack rack; Fig. 2 is a plan View of such holder on a scale larger than that shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of said holder on a still larger scale, the same being taken as on the line 3 3 of Fig. I, and Fig. 4 is a sectional View in detail taken as on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the several views of the drawing, wherein Vsimilar parts are designated by similar reference characters, it will be understood that the usual mail sack rack, hereabove referred to, includes legs I0, a front rail II, rear rail I2 and end rails I3, all formed from pipe and connected together by conventional pipe fittings I4. Sets of spaced sack hooks I5 mounted on said front and rear rails II, I2 divide the rack into sack sections. The hooks I5 of each section are adapted to be caught in the eyes I6 of a sack I1 and serve to hold the sack open for the reception of mail. In Fig. 1, I8 indicates the draw string on the sack I1, said string being shown as carrying the usual locking and label holding device I9. The customary destination signs A are mounted on the rear rail I2, there being one such sign for each sack ksection of the rack. Each sign A occupies a position on the rail I2 between the hooks I5 of its respective sack section and includes an elongated mounting plate 20 fastened by screws 2| to the rail I2, said plate being spaced from said rail by means of blocks 22 through which said screws 2I pass. The longitudinal marginal portions of the mounting plate 28 are turned upon themselves to provide retaining flanges' 23 for a sign panel 24 which is adapted to be marginally fitted into the grooves formed between` said flanges 23 and the body of the plate 28. Occupying proper position adjacent to the upper forward portion of the rack rail I2, the destination signs A face upwardly and forwardly in which disposition they are readily observed by a user of the rack.

The label holder, indicated in its entirety by the reference character B, includes an opened ended elongated case b, preferably formed from a single piece of sheet metal and consisting of a bottom 25, opposing sides 28 and av single end 21, the upper marginal portion 21a of the latter being curved or inclined inwardly, as best seen in Fig. 4. Upper edge portions of the sides 26 of case b are turned inward to form abutment flanges or lips 28, there being two such flanges on each side 26 between which a substantial space medially of the case is provided. The upper marginal portion of each side 25 of said case is cut away, as at 29, between its respective abutment lips 28. Within the case b is a plate-like backing or follower 38, the end portion 3I thereof being curved or inclined downwardly beneath the inwardly curved marginal portion 2l'a of the end 21 of said case. 'Ihe opposite end portion 32 of said follower 30, likewise curved or inclined downwardly, projects slightly beyond the open end of the case. This follower is yieldingly urged towards the abutment flanges or lips 28 by means of two helical springs 33 spaced apart longitudinally of the follower, said springs being welded,` soldered or otherwise secured at their upper ends to the follower 30 and at least one of said springs being anchored at its lower end to the bottom 25 of the case b, as by means of a lug 34 secured to said bottom and socketed Within said spring.

The case b of the label holder B is mounted on the rear rail I2 of a rack by means of a clamping strap between its ends to the bottom 25 of said case.

35 welded or otherwise suitably secured This strap 35 is bent to form a band for encircling the rail I2, the ends of the strap being turned outward to form ears 38, said ears being provided with registering openings therein to receive a pair of clamping bolts 31. Said strap 35 is fastened to the bottom 25 of the case in a manner whereby the ears 38 thereon, together with the bolts 31 carried thereby, may bedisposecl at the lower rear portion of the rail I 2 to avoid catching upon the sacks or the clothing of persons using the racks. In applying the holder, the longer end portion of the strap v35 is threaded throughk the opening between the rail I2 of the rack and the mounting plate 20 of a destination sign A and between the spacer-blocks 22 at the ends of said plate. With the clamping strap 35 properly gripped about the rail I2, the case b occupies a position at the top of the rail invwhich it is guarded by the destination sign A against injury or dislodgementby mail inaccurately cast toward the sack. e

In loading the case b` with printed labels which, ultimately, are to be stamped o-n the backs thereof and placed in the combined locking .and labelling devices of mail sacks, the user inserts a stack of labels 33, printed side down, into the case between the follower 3l) and the abutment lips 28. Upon urging these labels 38 endwise against the curved portion 21a of the end 21, said labels become feathered, the uppermost label being extended the greatest distance from. the case at the open end thereof. When a label is desired for application to the labelling device on a sack, preparatory to the closing of the sack, the mail clerk impresses his personal time indicating stamp on the uppermost label and then lifts the extended end of said label, so that the subjacent ends of the remaining labels may be reached to be bent down against the curved portion 32 of the follower 36 (Fig. 4). With said remaining labels thus bent down, ample nger room is provided for applying sufficient pressure thereto to depress the projecting end of the follower 30 and thereby localize the gripping of the labels 38, between the follower 30 and the abutment lips 28 at the closed extremity of the oase. This being accom-A plished, the uppermost stamped label is readily withdrawn from the case b Without danger of dislodgement of the labels therebeneath. By curving the end 3| of the follower 3D, I minimize the tendency to disturb the feathered relation of labels 38 when the projecting end of the follower is depressed. Rectangular label stamps, usually employed by mail clerks, are readily applied to the uppermost label between the tips of the opposing abutment lips 28. To accommodate wider stamps of round configuration which are lalso used by the mail clerks, the lips 28 at each side of the case b have been spaced apart medially of the case, the distance between said lips at each side of said case being substantially Vthe same as that between the sides 26, whereby a stamp receivable between said sides will between the lips 28 of each side. springs 33 sist the normal pressure placed upon a stamp, I have cut away the sides 26 of the case, .as at 29, to avoid the contacting of a wide, round stamp with sides of the case, should an excessive amount of pressure be applied to such stamp.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the Although the y65 e also be receivable scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l.. In a magazine or holder for labels or 'the against said lips, said case being open at oner extremity thereof and having an end at its other extremity, said end of said case being inclined inwardly to contact and feather the labels in the pack and thereby facilitate the grasping of the end of the foremost label at the open extremity of the case, said follower being tiltable to free the foremost label from engagement with the abutment lips at the proximityof the open extremity of the case, the end portion of the follower at the closed end of the case being curved downward to avoid disturbance of the feathered relationship of the labels in the pack upon the tilting of said follower.

2. In a magazine or holder for labels or the like to be dispensed individually from a supply thereof, a case having sides for the reception therebetween of a pack of labels, said sides having inwardly extending abutment lips thereon, a spring pressed follower acting to advance the pack and normally hold the foremost label against said lips, said case being open at one extremity thereof to lend access to the labels, said follower being tiltable to free the foremost label from engagement with the abutment lips at the proximity of the open extremity of the case, the end portion of the follower at said open extremity of the case being inclined downward to permit the downward flexing of the labels beneath the foremost label, whereby the latter may be easily grasped and the follower readily tilted.

3. In a magazine or holder for labels or the like to be dispensed individually from a supply thereof, a case having sides for the reception therebetween of a pack of'labels, said sides having inwardly extending abutment lips thereon, a spring pressed follower acting to advance the pack and normally hold the foremost labell against said lips, said case being open at one extremity thereof and having an end at its other extremity, said end of said case being inclined inwardly to contact and feather the labels in the pack and thereby facilitate the grasping of the end of the foremost label at the open extremity of the case. f

4. In a magazine or h lder for a supply of labels or the like in and fromA which the labels are to be individually imprinted with a stamp and dispensed, a case having facing sides for the reception therebetween of a pack of labels, said sides having inwardly extending abutment lips on each othereof, a spring-pressed follower acting to advance the pack in the case and normally hold the foremost label thereof in position marginally engaging said abutment lips, the lips on each of said sides being spaced apart to receive therebetween the stampl to be applied to the foremost label, each side of the case being cut away between its respective abutment lips to clear any portion of the stamp overreaching such side as pack and follower are depressed through force exerted upon the stamp.

5. In la magazine or holder for a supply of labels or the like in and from which the labels are to be individually imprinted with a stamp and dispensed, a case having facing sides for the reception therebetween of a packof labels, said sides having inwardly extending abutment lips on each thereof, a spring-pressed follower acting to advance the pack in the case and normally hold the foremost label in position marginally engaging said abutment lips, the lips on each side of said case being spaced apart, the distance between such lips being substantially the same as the distance between the sides of the case, whereby a stamp receivable between the sides will also be receivable between the lips on each side. ,f-

MATTHEW F. THEIS. 

